Revivifier



y 1935- B. MANROSS 2,000,972 REVIVIFIER Original Filed Nov, 4, 1930er/Jfartraaa I By m Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oF rcEREVIVIFIEB.

Bert Manross, Warren, Pa.

13 Claims (01. 2263-26),

This is a divisional application containing matter divided out of mypending application Serial No. 493,457, filed :November 4, 1930.

This invention relates generally to driers, and

particularly to that type of drier whichis suitable the products ofcombustion; and which are ordinarily discharged through the stack of therevivifier furnace and lost.

It is also an important object of my invention toprovide a revivifier ofthe class described having means interpolated between the furnace andthe furnace stack for arresting and collecting particlesof fullers earthand the like which may be carried by the products of combustion andwhich wouldordinarily escape with them into the stack, said means havingthe further effect of reducing the draft at the top of the furnace so asto reduce unwanted flashing or burning of portions of the fullers earthwhich enter the furnace subsequentto treatment for decarbonization. Thisfeature is important in any process of furnace drying fullers earthor,the like subsequent to the usual cleaning process for decarbonizingit.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in arevivifier of the class described,

- means for returning the fullers earth which is collected from theproducts of combustion, to' the furnace on a plane below that at whichthe products of combustion escape therefrom laden with fullers earth sothat recirculation to the stock of the returned separated particles ispositively prevented. 4

It is also an important object of my invention to provide valved meansoperable by a sufficient accumulation of fullers earth or the likeparticles and arranged so that the accumulated or collected fullersearth particles may gravitate to the said lower level of 'the furnace.

It'is also an important object of my invention to provide in a drier ofthe class described above, dead air space means into which the productsof combustion are directed whereby a separation of the heavier fullersearth particles or the like thereby from the lighter products ofcombustion is effected, and the said lighter products of combustionpermitted to escape.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be.,apparent from areading of the following description in connection with the drawing,wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodimentof my invention.

In the drawing:----

Figure 1 is a general vertical sectional view 5 through an embodiment ofmy invention. v

Fig.2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line2--2 of Fig. l and looking downwardly.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein like 10 numerals refer tolike parts throughout the same, the device of the invention comprisesthe revivifier furnace perse 5, the furnace stack 6, the separa-torelement 1, and the conduit 8 connecting the furnace and theseparator,,which are con- 15' nected so that the furnace communicateswith the separator, the separator with the conduit, and the conduit withthe furnace.

Since any conventional suitable form of revivifier furnace 5 is adequatefor embodying the in- 2a vention such as the Nichols-Herreshofl? type orthe type shown and described in Patent No. 1,671,395 granted May 29,1928, or that shown in I the patent granted to C. K. Parker et al. onMay 19, 1931, Patent No. 1,806,020, only a portion of the furnace '5 hasbeen illustrated. A suitable furnace comprises a series of verticallyspaced floors or partitions, each having an opening I3 at one side andcommunicating with the space defined by it and the next floor below. Oneside wall of the furnace 5 is provided with an opening 15 a at a pointbelow its upper end and immediately above a partition II- which isdevoid of a side opening into which opening l5 is'closely fitted ahorizontal portion l6 of the stack 8. The partition ll divides thefurnace into .upper and lower sections and has only a central openingthrough which material in the furnace may pass below the partition H.The stack portion I6 is connected to and in communication with thevertical 40 stack portion I! at a pointabove its lower end 18 which isclosed as indicated. On the upper endof the vertical portion 11 is ag'ooseneck airtrapping portion l9 which has the angularly depressed endportion 20 passed through one side of the separator I. The separator 1comprises a suitable stand 2| supporting an annular ring 22 on its upperend for supporting the separator casing generally designated 23.

The separator casing 23 comprises an upper truncated conical hollowportion 24 and a lower inverted conical portion 25, which is alsohollow. The ring 22 surrounds the separator casing 23 at the pointwhere, the upper part 24 joins the lower part 25 and is connected to thecasing by means of lateral brackets 26 preferably fastened to the lowerend portion of the top portion 24 as shown in the drawing.

The comparatively flat dome-shaped top 21 of .the upper casing portion24 has a centralized opening 28 therein which is surrounded by and incommunication with the lower end of the stack 5, which has a lateralflange 29 resting on the top 21 and secured thereto by suitable means 29and 30.

The lower end or apex of the inverted conical lower casing portion 25 isprovided with an opening 3| into which is received the upper end of agenerally cylindrical conduit 32 which has at itslower end a squaredportion 33 in which is rather closely fitted a swinging gate valve 34which is mounted as indicated at 35 upon a shaft 36 having a laterallydirected portion 37 outward of the squared portion 33 and provided witha longitudinally adjustable weight 38 for counterbalancing apredetermined amount of fullers earth particles accumulated in the lowerpart 25 of the casing and in the conduit 32 upon the valve 34. One sideof the squared portion 33 is provided with a lug 39 with which the upperside of the gate valve 34 is arranged to engage in the closed position,so that the gate valve 34 when swung upwardly toward closed position bythe weight 38 in the absence of an accumulation of fullers earthparticles thereon, will not swing beyond the horizontal closed position,but will be capable only of swinging downwardly to an open position uponthe accumulation thereon of fullers earth particles or the like ofgreater mass than the weight 33 as suggested. The gate valve 34 whenclosed is of sufficiently tight fit in the squared portion 33 to createa dead air space in the upper part of the conduit 32 and in the lowercasing part 25.

The lower end of the conduit 32 empties into a hopper 40 locatedthereunder in receiving relation thereto. The hopper 40 has leading fromthe lower end thereof a declining return conduit 4| capable ofgravitationally conveying fullers earth particles or the like depositedtherein to a point below the hopper 40, in this case, to a portion ofthe lower section of the furnace below the partition ll whereby risingof the returned particles into the stack is prevented by theinterposition of the partition II.

The depressed upper end portion 20 of the stack 8, which passes throughone side of the wall of the upper easing portion 24, has its open endlocated close to the diametrically opposite side of the casing portion24 and at such an angle thereto that the particle-laden products ofcombustion are flowed against the downwardly flaring walls of the uppercasing portion 24 without danger of fracturing or pulverizing theparticles by impact with said walls, whereby to direct the ladenproducts of combustion downwardly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1into the lower casing portion 25; Passage of air downwardly beyond thevalve 34 being prevented either by the closed position of the valve 34or by an accumulation of fullers earth particles or the like in theconduit 32 will produce a dead air space in the lower easing portion 25into which the laden products of combustion are directed. Because oft-hegreater weight of the fullers earth or the like particles entrained inthe products of combustion, the particles of fullers earth or the likewill separate gravitationally from the lighter products of combustionand fall into the dead air space and collect and accumulate in the lowercasing portion 25 and in the conduit 32 above the valve 34, and fail torise with the lighter products of combustion and escape through theopening in the top of the upper casing portion 24 into the stack 6 fordischarge to the atmosphere. Both the lighter and the heavier of thefullers earth particles collect in this way for return to the furnacefor further conditioning, and the heavier particles aid in preventingthe lighter particles from packing too tightly and in securinggravitational movement of the lighter particles.

Vertical rods 43 depend from the casing top 21 and surround the opening28 therein and carry at their lower ends a horizontal baflle 44 which islocated immediately above the depressed end 20 of the stack gooseneck.The baffle plate 44 is of such a diameter and in such relation to thestack that it impedes too rapid passage of air and the lighter productsof combustion to the stack, whereby the velocity of escape of theproducts of combustion from the furnace through the stack 8 will bereduced so as to prevent excessive draft in the drier furnace. Not onlydoes this reduction of and control of draft in the furnace'favor properconditions within the furnace and prevent flashing of the decarbonizedfullers earth in the upper section of the furnace, but it and the bendl9 in the stack suificiently reduces the velocity of the laden productsof combustion coming into the separator casing 23 that the particlesflow rather than hit against the side of the separator casing and toinsure that a proper separating action of the fullers earth or the likeparticles will take place, and that only an inconsiderable amount of theparticles will be fractured or pulverized and/or fail of being separatedwithin the separator and be carried out of the opening 28 into the stack6. The open end 20 of the stack portion I9 is located considerably belowand to one side of the discharge opening 28 in the top of the separatorcasing so that the particle-laden products of combustion will be carriedwell outside of and below the zone of influence of the escaping lighterproducts of combustion as they rise about the baflle plate 44 and escapeinto the stack 6, even though the stack 5 enters the upper part of theseparator casing.

The stack 8 is of such height and cross section that by virtue of itsconnection to the upper section of the furnace and the rising oftheproducts of combustion therein, the stack will be sufficiently heated topreclude the formation of condensation therein. The importance ofobviating condensation in the stack will be understood when it isconsidered that moisture caused bycondensation would be carried overinto the separator casing and cause the separated particles to pack andsludge to such an extent that the accumulated particles could not passout of the separator casing under their own weight and would have to beshovelled out. The separator casing is so arranged and constructed thatthe dry highly heated products of combustion entering the separatorcasing by the gooseneck l9 sufiiciently heat the interior of the casingand the baffle 44 so that the condensation is prevented within theseparator casing and gooseneck. It

will be obvious that it is equally if not more important that theinterior of the separator casing be kept hot and free of moisture sothat a proper separation of the par cles will take place and to ensurethat the separated and collected partithe separator casing are wet theycannot be properly separated but will simply fall to the Q bottom of thecasing and form a sludge which bonlzed fullers earth than has heretoforebeen will plug the conduits 32 and 4| and render the apparatus partly or"completely inoperative until cleaned out at great expense and loss ofoperating time. I understand that an ineflicient condition of this kindis one of the greatest objec-' tions to presently used devices of thiskind. My

apparatus, however, is not subject to these objections, but maintains ahighly efficient operating condition over an indefinitely long period oftime and recovers and enables the reconditioning and reuse of a largerpercentage of the decar-' possible.

The importance of providing in my invention the means described wherebyfracture and pul- I verization of the fullers earth particles is avoidedwill be understood when it is-realized that in order to be useful foroil refin purposes the fuller's earth particles must retain theiroriginal porous, absorptive, cellular character through any process ofreconditioning or reiuve hating thereof, and that the particles will bewholly useless for these purposes if fractured or pulverized during oras a result of the process. Since it can be shown that my apparatusenables the reburning or rejuvenating of decarbonized fuller's earthused for oil refining purposes on an average of thirty-two (32) times asagainst an average of eight (8) times possible with other apparatus,before the fullers earth becomes unfit for this use, the superiority ofmy apparatus is clearly established, especially since my apparatusenables the recovery and reuse of a large ercentage of the fullers earthnow being lost the best available apparatus.

Reference made herein to prevention of flashing of the decarbonizedfullers earth as it enters the upper section of the furnace is furtherexplained by'statlng that in conventional fullers earth rejuvenatingprocesses as in, the present invention, the fullers earth is treatedwith decarbonizing material to remove the hydrocarbon and other sludgeabsorbed by the fullers earth during its use in the oil refiningoperations. At

the termination of the decarbonizing there remains in the fullers eartha certain amount of the readily inflammable decarbonizing material;

tha

When this fullers earth is introduced into ordi nary furnaces, itquickly ignites and flashes with scient of an explosion to cause a heavyupward draft through the stack of the furnace which, being unimpeded,encourages a continuance of the ignition which impairs the fullersearth. In my apparatus, when such flashing of the decarbonized fullersearth commences, the uprush of pressure through the staclr t is met by acushion of air trapped in the upper part of the stack and in theseparator casing by virtue of the construction already described, whichchecks the unusual updraft in the stack and damps the flashing in amannerunfavorable of a continuance thereof. This automatic checking offlashing in the upper section of the furnace not only veryadvantageously controls and imparts regularity to the draft through theapparatus, but prevents impairment of considerable portions of thecharge in the furnace and ensures a more uniform final product of highergrade.

It will be observed that no artificial or forced draft assistance isgiven the natural draft which takes the fullers earth out of the uppersection of the furnace, passes it through the separator, and permits itto return to the lower section of the furnace, and that the entirecirculation is achieved and maintained by natural circulation and theforce of gravity, a circumstance which makes my very eflicient apparatuscheaper to operate and maintain than any other similar device known tome.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be definitely understood that it do not care tolimit the applicationof the invention thereto, and any change or changesmay be made in material and construction and arrangement of parts,within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what it claim as new is:

l. The combination with a multiple hearth re- ,iuvenating furnace someof the hearths being devoid of openings at their sides but provided witha central opening and others of the hearths being provided with openingsat their sides but devoid of an opening at the center thereof, astacltcounicating withfthe interior of the furnace at a point below aside opening equipped up er hearth and above a center opening equippedhearth, t 11-: arranged to provide for tion contag solid particles, areturn conduit leading into a lower hearth below a lower hearth equippedwith a side opening, and solid particle separating means interposedbetween and connecting said staclr and said return conduit and operatingto separate said solid particles from said gaseous products ofcombustion while permitting the latter to escape, and return theseparated particlcsto said lower hearth of the furnace for additionalrejuvenating in said furnace, the hearths interposed between said upperand lower hearths preventing rising of the returned separated solidparticles into said staclr.

2. e combination with a rejuvenating furnace having a plurality ofvertically spaced hearths. alternating ones of the hearths having sideopenings and center opes, a staclt communicating with the interior ofthe furnace below one of the upper side opening equipped hearths andabove the next below, center opening equipped hearth in a manner toprovide for escape into the stacl: of gaseous products of combustioncontaining solid particles, a particle retgconduit communicating withthe interior of thef ace below a lower one of the side ope equippedhearths and above the next below center opening equipped hearth, solidparticle separating means interposed between and connect said staclr.and said particle returning conduit and crating-rte separate said solidparticles from said gaseous products of combusby gravity alone, andnormally closed valve means in a portion of said particle returningconduit arranged to be opened by the weight of separated solid particlesthereon.

3. The combination with a rejuvenating furnace having a plurality ofvertically spaced hearths alternating ones of the hearths having sideopenings and center openings, a. stack communicating with the interiorof the furnace below one of the upper side opening equipped hearths andabove the next below center opening equipped hearth in a manner toprovide for escape into the stack of gaseous products of combustioncontaining solid particles, a particle returning conduit communicatingwith the interior of the furnace below a lower one of the side openingequipped hearths and above the next be-' low center opening equippedhearth, solid particle separating means interposed between andconnecting said stack and said particle returning conduit and operatingto separate said solid particles from said gaseous products ofcombustion while permitting the latter to escape into the atmosphere,and return the separated particles through said conduit to the furnacefor additional rejuvenating in said furnace, the hearths interveningbetween the said upper and lower hearths preventing rising of thereturned separated solid particles into said stack, said stack beingarranged and proportioned to be sufficiently heated by its connectionwith the furnace and the rising of said'gaseous products of combustiontherein whereby the formation of condensation therein and in the solidparticle separating means is prevented and gravitational separation andcollection of said solid particles in said separating means inconditionsuitable for gravitational return to said lower section of thefurnace for further rejuvenation is assured.

4. The combination with a rejuvenating furnace having a plurality ofvertically spaced hearths alternating ones of the hearths having sideopenings and center openings, a stack communicating with the interior ofthe furnace below one of the upper side opening equipped hearths andabove the next below center opening equipped hearth in a,manner toprovide for escape into the stack of gaseous products of combustioncontaining solid particles, a particle returning conduit communicatingwith the interior of the furnace below a lower one of the side openingequipped hearths and above the next below center opening equippedhearth, solid particle separating means interposed between andconnecting said stack and said particle returning conduit and operatingto separate said solid particles from said gaseous products ofcombustion while permitting the latter to escape into the atmosphere,and return the separated particles through said conduit to the furnacefor additional rejuvenating in said furnace, the hearths interveningbetween the said upper and lower hearths preventing rising of thereturned separated solid particles into said stack, said return conduitbeing arranged to be heated by its connection with the furnace and bythe rising therein of hot products of combustion from the furnacetherein whereby the formation of condensation in said return conduit isprevented and the gravitational return of the separated and collectedparticles through said return conduit to the furnace is assured.

5. The combination with a rejuvenating fur,- nace having a plurality ofvertically spaced hearths alternating ones of the hearths having sideopenings and center openings, a stack communicating with the interior ofthe furnace below one of the upper side opening equipped hearths andabove the next below cc"ter opening equipped hearth in a manner toprovide for escape into the stack of gaseous products of combustioncontaining solid particles, a. particle returning conduit communicatingwith the interior of the furnace below a lower one of the side openingequipped hearths and above the next below center opening equippedhearth, solid particle separating means interposed between andconnecting said stack and said particle returning conduit and operatingto separate said solid particles from said gaseous products ofcombustion while permitting the latter to escape into the atmosphere,and return the separated particles through said conduit to the furnacefor additional rejuvenating in said furnace, the hearths interveningbetween the said upper and lower hearths preventing rising of thereturned sep-' arated solid particles into said stack, said stack beingarranged so that said products of combustion enter the same from thefurnace and rise therein naturally and without artificial draft creatingmeans, and said return conduit being arranged to receive and return saidseparated'solid particles to the furnace by gravity alone, said returnconduit being arranged to be heated by its connection with the furnaceand by the rising therein of hot products of combustion from the furnacetherein whereby the formation of condensation in said return conduit isprevented and the gravitational return of the separated'and collectedparticles through said return conduit to said furnace is assured.

6. The combination with a rejuvenating furnace having a plurality ofvertically spaced hearths alternating ones of the hearths having sideopenings and center openings, a stack communicating with the interior ofthe furnace below one of the upper side opening equipped hearths andabove) the next below center opening equipped hearth in a manner toprovide for escape into the stack of gaseous products of combustioncontaining solid particles, 2. particle returning conduit communicatingwith the interior of the furnace below a lower one of the side openingequipped hearths and above the next below center opening equippedhearth, solid particle g separating means interposed between andconnecting said stack and said particle returning conduit and operatingto separate said solid particles from said gaseous products ofcombustion while permitting the latter to escape into the atmosphere,and return the separated particles through said conduit to the furnacefor additional rejuvenating in said furnace, the hearths interveningbetween the said upper and lower hearths preventing rising of thereturned separated solid particles into said stack, said stack beingarranged so that said products of combustion enter the same from theupper part of the furnace and rise therein naturally and withoutartificial draft creating means, and said return conduit being arrangedto receive and return said separated solid particles to the lower partof the furnace by gravity alone, said stack and said separating meansestablishing an air cushion for smothering flashing of the combustiblematerial in the upper part of the furnace.

7. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus including a particleseparating and collecting'device, and a multiple hearth revivifyingfurnace, a stack communicating with the interior of the furnace betweentwo adjacent upper ones of the hearths of the furnace and with saiddevice, a separated particle returning conduit leading from said deviceand communicating with the interior of the furnace at a point betweentwo adjacent hearths and said conduit communicating with.

the space between. two adjacent ones of the hearths in a lower part ofthe furnace, whereby hearths intervening between the mentioned upper andlower hearths prevent rising of the return particles into the stack.

9. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus including a particleseparating and collecting device having a gravitational particlereturning ,conduit, and a multiple hearth revivifying furnace having astack communicating with said device and with an upper part of theinterior of the furnace, said stack communicating with the space betweentwo adjacent ones of the upper hearths and said conduit communicatingwith the space between two adjacent ones of the hearths in a lowerpartof the furnace, whereby hearths intervening between the mentionedupper and lower hearths prevent rising of the return particles into thestack, alternate ones of said hearths being provided with side openingsonly or with center openings, respectively, the

stack opening being located below one of the side opening equippedhearths and said conduit entering the furnace below one of the sideopenings equipped hearths.

10. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus including a particleseparating and collecting device having a gravitational particlereturning, conduit, and a multiple hearth revivifying furnace having astack communicating with said device and with an upper part of theinterior of the furnace, said staek' communicating with the spacebetween two adjacent ones of the upper hearths and said conduitcommunicating with the space between two adjacent ones of the hearths ina lower part of the furnace, whereby hearths intervening between thementioned upper and lower hearths prevent rising of the return particlesinto the stack, alternate ones of said hearths being provided with sideopenings only or with center openings, respectively, the stack openingbeing located below one of the side opening equipped hearths and saidconduit entering the furnace below one of the side opening equippedhearths, each of said hearths having agitating arms sweeping the upperside thereof for the purpose of moving the material deposited thereon tothe next lower hearth through the respective side and center openingsthereof, the material thus moved and falling through the side opening inthe hearth immediately above the point of entrance of the particlereturning conduit acting to carry the particles returned to the furnacein a downward direction, thereby further preventing rising of thereturned particles after return to the furnace.

11. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus includinga particleseparating and collecting device, and a multiple hearth revivifyingfurnace, a stack communicating with the interior of the furnace betweentwo adjacent upper ones of the hearths of thefurnace and with saiddevice, a separated particle returning conduit leading from said deviceand communicating with "the interior of the furnace at a point betweentwo adjacent lower ones of the hearths, saiddevice containing a dead-airspace into which the particles entrained in the products of combustionissuing from the stack impinge, said device further containing a bafliedproduct of combustion discharge, said bafiied discharge and saiddead-air space being arranged so as to prevent excess draftthrough thedevice and to act as cushioning agents to damp explosive combustiontaking place in the furnace by arresting sudden movement of the productsof combustion through the stack.

12. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus including a particleseparating and collecting device, and ,a multiple hearth revivifyingfurnace, a stack communicating with the interior of the furnace betweentwo adjacent upper ones of the hearths of the furnace and with saiddevice, a separated particle returning conduit leading from said deviceand communicating with the interior of the furnace at a point betweentwo adjacent lower ones of the hearths, said stack and said device beingarranged with respect to each other and with respect to the furnace sothat the products of combustion containing the particles to be separatedand collected are passed, therethrough by natural draft without theassistance of artificial draft creating means.

13. In a fullers earth revivifying apparatus including a particleseparating and collecting device, and a multiple hearth revivifyingfurnace, a stack communicating with the interior of the furnace betweentwo adjacent upper ones of the hearths of the furnace and with saiddevice, a'separated particle returning conduit leading from said deviceand communicating with the interior of the furnace at a point betweentwo adjacent lower ones of the hearth, said stack being arranged withrespect to the furnace and said device with respect to the stack so thatthe hot products of combustion containing the hot particles to beseparated and collected passing through the stack and through saiddevice will maintain a sufliciently high temperature to preclude theformation of condensation in the interior of said stack and in theinterior of said device.

, BERT MANROSS.

